


The Fates Intervene

by RosieIce



Series: The Gods Are Done Waiting [1]
Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: Alternate History, Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, F/M, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Poor Life Choices, Sad and Happy, Spoiler Alert - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-23
Updated: 2020-02-26
Packaged: 2021-02-19 14:02:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22845457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RosieIce/pseuds/RosieIce
Summary: The Fates are tired of the drama that occurs at Grey Sloan Memorial. Too many people have either ignored their fates or found a way to rewrite them. It’s time for the Fates to step in and fix things.Warning: This story will be unkind to some characters in that they will be killed off or suffer miserable fates. I won’t regret anything.
Relationships: Miranda Bailey/Ben Warren, Owen Hunt/Original Female Character(s), Teddy Altman/Owen Hunt
Series: The Gods Are Done Waiting [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1642324
Kudos: 2





	1. The Choice That Stopped It All/ Owen’s Options

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the characters 
> 
> Notes:  
> 1) I lost access to the source that I use to watch the current episodes of Grey’s Anatomy, so the dialogue won’t be 100% true to the episode.
> 
> 2) I don’t know the paternity of Amelia’s baby. My guess is Owen because the writers just love love love drama and it would be much more dramatic if he is the father.
> 
> 3) I am going thru extreme emotional pain. Writing has been a great coping mechanism for me, using my energy on a story instead of having a mental breakdown. After watching A Diagnosis (S16E14), I got fed up with the drama. At first, I thought about what I would change, who ends up pregnant, who dies, etc. Then I thought “what if the characters were given options to their fate?” After that, the ideas grew into this story.

Atropos waited. She stood behind Owen, invisible to all.

“Okay, more irrigation,” requested Dr. Hunt.

Jo Karev cautiously asked, while assisting, “What if you, uh found out Amelia's baby was yours?”

“What? Why would you say that?”

“It's- it’s a hypothetical question.”

Owen did not hesitate with his answer. “That's not something I want to consider.”

“Why not? Would it change things for you and Teddy?”

“Karev, why are you asking me this?”

“Alex went home to Iowa, and I've barely heard from him, and my worst-case-scenario meter is off the charts right now because this patient is cheating on her husband right under his nose, which is in his arm.”

“And you think Alex reconnected with an ex from high school, and then one thing led to another.”

“So what if he just ran into some old girlfriend from high school and one thing led to another?“

“Jo, it took me a long, long time to get to this place in my life with me and Teddy, you know, just like you and Karev. I'm not gonna screw that up for anything. And neither is your husband.”

Atropos decided this was the moment to end it all. She reached out.

* * *

Owen felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned his head with mild curiosity, then quickly did a double take at the wrinkled, pale blue hand grasping his shoulder.

He looked up and saw the owner of the appendage. He gasped. Standing behind him was an olive-skinned woman wearing a toga and a matching scarf over her head. An odd set of scissors were attached to her belt. Her eyes were the reason he gasped. They had a milky consistency to them, like she were blind, but they were a dull blue instead of white. 

“ _Owen Hunt. Enough is enough. Time to make a choice._ ” Atropos translated her message to the English-speaker into his mind while her mouth moved in her native Greek.

“What in the hell?” Dr. Hunt couldn’t begin to wonder what was going on. He turned around and saw that the surgery room was eerily still. No one moved nor breathed. Owen turned back to the strange woman. 

“ _You have rejected your third child. You were only allowed one. Now you must choose which of your children to keep._ ”

Owen held up his hands. “Wait! Hold on. Who are you and where the hell did you come from?”

“ _I am Atropos the inevitable. I have come to reassign your fate. You have become too greedy with this one._ “

“What are you talking- you cannot be real. I’m having a hallucination!” 

The goddess placed her hand, now strangely as unwrinkled and olive-toned as the rest of her skin, upon his forehead and something in him snapped. He knew right then that what he was experiencing is definitely happening.

“What was that? Wait a minute...Did you say _third_ child? Teddy isn’t pregnant.”

“ _Amelia is. You conceived your third child 5 months ago. Yet, you rejected a gift you are destined to have._ “

“No, I... I didn’t reject my child.”

Atropos glares at the doctor. “ _You were asked what you would do if you were expecting a third child. You reject the idea in favor of your wife and first two children. By rejecting the idea, you have therefore rejected your son._ ”

“But I didn’t know-“

“ _Enough,_ ” the goddess yelled. “ _You must choose one child and only one. Your fate will then be reassigned based on your decision. If you will not choose, your default will be reassigned._ ”

“My default?”

“ _Yes. You have mysteriously rewritten your fate years back. My sisters and I have tried to fix your mistake by gifting you opportunities to reclaim your fate of having a single child, but you greedily took them all by having three children instead of one. It is time to fix your mess. However..._ “

Owen looked hopeful. Could he have Leo, Allison, and his yet-to-be-born son? He would do anything to keep all of them.

“ _However, you may be granted one last gift. Choose the default and keep the memories of your current life while gaining new memories to suit your designated fate before you muddled with them. Choose any other option, in the form of choosing one of your current children, and I shall tell you how your fate turns out before I wipe your memories of this meeting._ ”

“Can’t I know before I make a decision? Are you saying if I don’t choose the default, I won’t remember this life?”

“ _No to the first question and yes to the second. Owen Hunt. I shall grant you an hour. Please consider this decision a mercy. Others were never given the option to keep their altered fate._ “

The goddess then vanished in a wisp of blue smoke.

Time restarted for him. He stood still while his mind tried to process what happened moments ago.

“Dr. Owen?”

The question snapped him back to reality. He hesitated to speak, but he had to know. “Karev... why did you ask me those hypothetical questions?”

Jo looked confused. “Um...out of curiosity?”

“Amelia is carrying my child. Isn’t she?” 

Karev’s eyes widen in surprise. After a moment of awkward silence, she softly said: “Maybe. She did the test, but she hasn’t looked at the results yet. It could be yours or Link’s.”

Owen didn’t speak for a few beats. “I have a feeling that I know whose it is. Excuse me.” With that, Dr. Hunt requested a replacement and collapsed as soon as he was alone. A third child! With Amelia. He didn’t plan on it, but it must have happened if the apparent goddess said so.

He spent the remainder of the hour making a decision no parent of multiple children should have to make. Hunt tried to contact Amelia, but she didn’t respond. Owen considered asking Link, but decided against it. He didn’t know what to do.

* * *

In a reverse of her exit, Atropos the inevitable reappeared through smoke.

“ _Owen Hunt, have you decided?_ ”

He nodded solemnly. Owen looked down in regret and shame. What parent would choose one child over another? And never would he have thought that he of all people would deny a baby he fathered. He always wanted children, so rejecting one was impossible to imagine, yet that’s what he did and is about to do again.

“ _And?_ ”

“I choose...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Owen’s final decision comes to fruition in the next chapter. The Fates will confront a second major character after that.


	2. Owen’s Choice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if the timeline is not right. Owen’s life is a mess to figure out.
> 
> Also, I don’t know how old Owen Hunt and Ben Warren are. Not sure if their ages interfere with the timeline, so just go with it.

“...the default.”

Owen didn’t look up as he continued talking. “No parent should choose one child over another.”

Atropos looked at the mortal doctor with sympathy. She placed her hand on his shoulder in a comforting gesture.

“ _You have chosen your default. I will set to adjusting your fate based on your decision._ ”

Dr. Hunt looked ready to cry. The goddess didn’t lift her hand away from him; she wanted to lessen the mortal’s pain. 

“ _Neither I nor my sisters are heartless. It has been said that fate can be cruel. I am not. Go home. Be with your family and enjoy your last moments together. And tomorrow, you might find that you are not alone._ ”

The goddess disappeared without explaining herself. Owen was alone, but he didn’t want to be. It felt like his shoes were made of lead as he made arrangements to go home early.

Teddy was still sick with the flu and was pleasantly surprised he showed up halfway thru his shift. Owen didn’t care about catching her disease. He kissed her like it was their first and last kiss, full of passion and promises. 

After a brief yet passionate session in bed, Dr. Hunt found his kids, gave them each a long hug as he memorized them. Their appearance, their smell, laughs, smiles, hugs, everything. Leo wanted to play pirates, so they did. His oldest child asked why his father was crying, which made Owen cry harder. After a long night with his family, Hunt fell asleep with Teddy wrapped tightly around his arms. 

* * *

Atropos pulled out Owen Hunt’s string, a red one knotted and tangled to other strings. She lifted her scissors and proceeded to untangle the three thin strands that connected Owen Hunt to Amelia Shepherd and Teddy Altman.

The first string: Leo. The goddess held the thread and watched what would have happened had Hunt chosen this child. Owen was told to go to Germany, but he never went. Instead, he stayed to work on his current relationship with his ex-wife. Amelia would end up leaving him after they adopted a child. Hunt gained primary custody while his ex-wife babysat on occasion. Teddy never found a reason to return to the States.

Atropos raised her scissors and expertly removed the knot connecting the first of three strings. Leo Hunt shimmered out of existence. She then held the next strand. Allison.

Should Owen have chosen the girl he fathered with Teddy, then Leo’s biological family would have taken him back. Hunt went to Germany, but Teddy regretted not wearing a condom. She would have been selfish, so as soon as she gave birth, she gave primary custody to Owen. Then she would have gone back to dating Koracick. She explained to a distraught Owen how she was never meant to be a mother, but she will never stop loving him. Owen would end up cutting off his relationship with Amelia or any relationship for a few years.

Atropos snipped that string without a second thought. Allison Hunt simply stopped being. The goddess’s blue eyes fell upon the last string. Amelia’s unborn son.

Had he chosen his biological son, Owen would have gone to Germany, but he and Altman would have used a condom. That didn’t stop him from admitting his happiness with Teddy, so they end up dating. Unfortunately, Teddy would have left Owen after hearing he accidentally knocked up Amelia while he was dating her. 

The inevitable one snipped the string and somewhere, Amelia’s stomach retracted onto itself until nothing grew there. Then Atropos handed the red string of Owen Hunt’s fate to her sister, the allotter, to reshape.

* * *

Owen woke up and got ready for the day. The other side of the bed was empty. That’s okay. Whenever Courtney goes to work first, she makes up for it with a delicious breakfast waiting for him.

Yep. Petal pancakes shaped into hearts, an omelet with his favorite fixings, a fruit bowl, and a travel mug filled with still-hot coffee.

He got ready for work and was about to lock the door, until a nagging feeling settled in him. He forgot something, but he had everything he’d need for work. He checked his pockets for his keys, wallet, phone, and anything else he could think of. He put the dirty dishes away, the bed was made military-style, the lights were off. Owen checked, but that nagging feeling won’t go away.

He ignored it as he locked the door and drove to the hospital. He greeted his friends and fellow doctors. He saw Amelia and raised his hand in greeting until he looked down. Not pregnant. Amelia wasn’t preg-.

His children! That feeling from earlier, he forgot his children, but he also didn’t have kids. Not now, in this life. In a way, he was disappointed to have chosen this path. He would never again hold Leo when his son had nightmares. He would never see Allison grow up and give him grey hairs when she brings boys (or girls) home. He will never see his son with Amelia. Yet, on the other hand...

In this new life, he befriended Ben Warren (who for reason chose to go into the army in this life) before he met Teddy. He had became Hunt’s best friend in the army. As the years flew by, Teddy and him would have a mutual interest, try to date, but eventually have a falling out. Nobody fell in love with the other. He dated Christina Yang, but they never married. He befriended Amelia, but they never dated.

He met, fell in love with, then married Courtney Johnson, instead. Hunt met the chef when she accompanied her colleague who suffered from a common kitchen accident with a knife. They chatted and the two of them felt a connection, a spark. 

He was afraid to pursue happiness, but she saw right through him and beat him to many mile points. She gave him her number after he treated her coworker, she asked him out first, she proposed to him (three times), and she was the first to admit she wanted to try for a baby. She wasn’t afraid to ask for what she wants, yet considerate enough to not push Owen when he wasn’t ready for something.

And Owen Hunt pursued that happiness with some necessary patience on Courtney’s part. No affairs, no accidental pregnancies (or two). No divorces. He was happy, in love with Courtney as much as he had loved Teddy, and had a chance (fourth chance?) to be a father.

Once his new life straightened out in his mind to know for certain where his old life ended and his new one began, he made a beeline for the lounge. He thought he passed Ben, who seemed to be literally glowing, down a hallway, but Dr. Hunt was in a hurry. As soon as Owen was sure no one was around, he pulled out his phone and dialed a familiar yet unfamiliar number. A woman’s voice answered.

“Hey, honey bear. I wasn’t expecting your call til lunchtime. What’s going on?”

Owen closed his eyes as he pictured his new/only wife. Hair the color between blonde and brunette. It was long enough to caress her shoulders when she let it down. Otherwise, it was set in a professional bun or loose ponytail. Eyes of a shade between grey and blue. A smile that can lighten anyone’s day.

“Hey, honey. I just wanted to hear your voice.”

“Awe. That’s sweet. Did you like your breakfast?”

“When have I not enjoyed one of your meals?”

“Haha, don’t go pretending you didn’t gag from my chili last weekend. It’s _supposed_ to taste that way.”

“I remember,” he said with a smile. “Courtney, um...when we are home tonight, can we try again? For some reason, I really want to have a child back in my life.”

“What do you mean ‘back in your life’?”

Drat. Owen forgot he didn’t have kids or nieces or nephews yet. “Uh, sorry, slip of the tongue. I meant to say I want a kid badly in my life.”

She giggled at how cute he was being. “Oh sweetie. I want that as much as you. Alright. Let’s try again tonight. I finish at 6. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Hunt ended the call and leaned back. He thought he would spend more time grieving over his lost life. He would usually ask someone he trusted, but surely no one would remember what used to be. He could cry over forgetting how his daughter looked, but he didn’t have pictures, no one to talk to. 

Owen decided to grieve privately. He had a new life waiting for him, but the last life was still important. Even the bad memories are important to remember. Here, he gets to start fresh. He knows what he wants. Here, Owen Hunt was home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this story’s universe, some characters will have predetermined fates. Some are supposed to be married, others are meant to have a kid or two, some weren’t meant to be doctors, not exist, die young, etc. I will add characters’ fates at the end of their chapter storyline. 
> 
> Owen’s fate is to have one child with the woman he marries.
> 
> Up next is Ben Warren.


	3. Ben’s Options

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Mild spoiler alerts for those who haven’t watched Station 19 S3E5 Into the Woods. 
> 
> I refuse to continue watching Station 19 after they killed off a character I had high hopes for. So, I read the summary, watched a few clips on YouTube (that CGI bear wasn’t realistic), and the rest is guesswork.

Ben Warren dropped the campers off at the hospital. What an afternoon! He still can’t believe the man has no nose. If anyone can help the poor guy, it would be Avery. That guy certainly has the skills to pull off the impossible.

As Warren climbed into the ambulance, he saw a woman in the smoking area watching him. The poor woman was clearly suffering from jaundice based on the yellow coloration of her skin.

Ben took a moment to stare in a very subtle manner before starting the engine and returning to the station. He parked in the garage and just as he climbed out, he turned to the garage door and did a double take.

The jaundiced woman stood right there. He looked around, wondering if she has a twin with jaundice or if she got a quick ride. However, as soon as he turned to look at her again, she had silently moved to be less than a foot away from him.

Before he could think to jerk away, the strange woman raised her hand and touched his forehead. Something akin to ice water shot through his system. He realized he closed his eyes when he found himself opening them to see the woman had transformed. 

Her civilian clothes became an authentic toga and hood, a tattered rolled-up scroll was attached to her robe by a thin belt, her jaundice body shifted to appear healthy and olive-skinned, but the strangest part were her eyes...they seemed blind, yet were a pale yellow. 

“ _You were right before. To have been robbed of an opportunity. A chance to become a father. I am here to give you what you are owed._ ”

“Whoa...,” was all that Ben could utter. Somehow, without explaining how he knew, this being in front of him wasn’t mortal. She had a near visible aura radiating off her. It also helps that he sees her lips moving yet he hears words that don’t match, kinda like telepathy. 

The woman chuckled. “ _Am I right to interpret your reaction as starstruck? You have no need to fear me, mortal. I am Lachesis, the allotter. Due to the paths chosen by your peers, your fate was denied to you. You are meant to have a child with your chosen wife._ ”

“Really?”

The goddess nodded her head. A grin grew on her lovely lips.

“Um well, Miranda just lost our baby and is unable to have any more. If you are what I think you are, you can help us?” Ben believed in the one God, but now he is questioning his religion if an obvious non-mortal is standing before him. Who knows? He would expand his mind if someone helps him with the impossible.

“ _Here are your options: a conceived child shortly after your wedding, one born at some point between then and now, the baby you nearly had, or the default. The last one is your intended fate, if others hadn’t interfered._ ” Lachesis said the last sentence with a hint of disapproval. She does not favor those who interfere with one’s fate at the cost of another’s.

Ben has his choice ready. “I know which-“

“ _Halt_ ,” the allotter said as she gestured him to stop talking. “ _Before you decide, you must know what you get. Choose the default and you keep your memories of this fate, yet gain new memories as you enter your designated life. Choose any other option, then you will be told your fate, but your memory of our meeting shall be wiped away._ ”

Okay...that changes things. Warren looked around the station as he pondered for an increasingly long amount of time. It was starting to get awkward, but Lachesis waited patiently.

“ _Would you like an hour to decide?_ ”

He shook his head. “No. All I need is 15.”

The goddess didn’t answer as she disappeared in a cloud of mustard smoke. Ben pulled out his phone and opened the pictures of his family. Miranda and Tuck. He wanted one more person in the picture, but he has the power to decide when Tuck becomes an older brother. On the other hand, if he was supposed to have a child in any fate, the default couldn’t be too bad. 

It was sorta cool how some mythical being wants to help him. It was even cooler when they are willing to help him get what he wished for. The least he could do in return is make his decision soon but also well-thought.

* * *

He made his choice. He was ready to answer, but what he was _not_ ready for was the allotter reappearing in the mustard smoke right behind him. He will forever deny that he jumped 2 feet off the ground when he finally noticed someone in his personal space. 

Lachesis couldn’t help chuckling as she said “ _You are an amusing one. I see you are at peace with your decision._ ”

He stalled as his heart returned to a steady pace. Then he nodded. “I know what I want...”


	4. Ben’s Decision

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heads up: big spoiler alert in the notes below for those who haven’t watched Grey’s Anat S16E17 ‘Life on Mars’

“...the default. You said Miranda and I get a child no matter what? Well, I would like to also remember what we went through so we can be grateful later.”

“ _Very well. I must say, you made your decision, a rational one at that, sooner than most. How interesting. I will return to my sisters and rewrite your fate. Go home, Benjamin Warren. Enjoy your last night of this life._ ”

“Wait! Just so I know...will Miranda remember?”

The goddess held his gaze for a moment. “ _Your wife’s fate won’t be of her choosing. Her’s followed its path. She wouldn’t be gifted the memory change through choice, but if you desire her memory unaltered...I can discuss it with my sisters._ ”

“Please,” he begged.

“ _Go home. You will know our answer tomorrow morning._ ”

* * *

The goddess returned to her sisters and told them of Ben’s choice. Atropos held out her hand, silently asking for Ben Warren’s current string. Lachesis pulled it from the air and was relieved to watch all of the frayed knots be removed. 

Each knot was a missed opportunity. Lachesis told Clotho, the spinner, where to add the knot for a new strand (for the baby’s start of life) before handing the messy thread of fate to Atropos, the inevitable one, to remove the frayed portions. 

The sisters were awkward with each other because they were unfamiliar with the protocol for Ben’s change of path. It was a rare occasion for all three sisters to play a role with one person’s chosen fate when the change was caused by neither the goddesses nor the soul in question.

Lachesis mentioned Ben’s request for his wife to keep her memories. The three Fates debated for a few hours on what to do. Finally, it came down to a tie-breaker. Lachesis wanted to fulfill the mortal’s wish. Clotho didn’t want to gift someone something they haven’t earned. Atropos saw the pros and cons of both options, but it was her decision that would have say in the end. The inevitable one took a long look at the tangled and frayed navy-blue thread before she made up her mind.

* * *

A pager beeped Ben awake. Upon instinct, he reached out and saw that he was needed. He forced himself off the couch, but a hand pulled him back. He turned around and smiled.

Bailey and he must have fallen asleep in her office at some point last night. He leaned over, kissed her forehead, caressed her very pregnant belly, then tried to loosen his wife’s iron tight grip. How does he often forget how surprisingly strong Bailey can be?

Anyway, he was needed back on the floor. So he quietly slipped out of the room and prepared himself. Life as an anesthesiologist is pretty good.

As he walked down the halls, he thought he saw his best friend, Owen Hunt, rushing somewhere. His friend seemed to be glowing, but he was gone too quickly for Ben to get a good look. Ben doesn’t think too hard on it. When Owen is on a mission, whether it’s in the army or here in the hospital, he won’t let anything in his way.

He did his job. Said hi to his colleagues. Same old same old, but he was happy. He was gonna be a father, had an awesome wife, served his country which, while thrilling, had him eventually desire his current, less intense, job.

* * *

He didn’t remember until after Bailey cornered him, the first he’s seen her since he woke up. “Ben, why are you and a couple others _glowing_? Like angels?”

“I’m glowing? Who else is glow- Miranda...you are too.” 

She looks down, but can only see the aura from others. “Ben. _What_ is going on in my hospital?! Oh!” Bailey grabs her stomach; she just felt a kick. “Benjamin Warren, tell your daughter to stop showing off her soccer skills. My bladder isn’t a ball for her to kick- oh there she goes again.”

Ben couldn’t hold back his giggles. He is so proud of his wife. And their child. And to think, they almost lost...

His memory came back. Ben remembered his life as a fire fighter, the miscarriage, Owen, not enlisting at all. He also remembered this new life. The flood of an extra life of memories made him go weak in the knees. Bailey stopped her rant and held on to her husband.

Bailey remembered as soon as he said one word: “miscarriage.” She made an “oh” with her face and clearly was taking it all in. Once the married couple readjusted, they looked back at each other, waited a beat, then embraced each other. They can worry about the visible auras and sudden change in life later. For now, happy tears flowed between them. 

Ben refused to remove his hand from Bailey’s baby bump. Life was back in her. He felt his daughter kicking. His daughter lives. He didn’t care about his days in the army, the change in best friend, nor the change in career. Benjamin Warren has another chance to be a father (and not just a stepfather). He is content.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) Ben Warren’s fate is to have (any number of) children through marriage. It’s similar to Owen’s fate, but Ben isn’t restricted to one child. 
> 
> 2) I am not sure if anesthesiologists get pages or not. For now, I will assume they do get paged.
> 
> 3) Big spoiler alert for those who haven’t watched the latest episodes...I am so relieved Owen is not Amelia’s baby daddy. Seriously, if Owen had turned out to be the father, then I personally think he needs to get snipped!
> 
> 4) I had Ben join the army because in my opinion, when he switches one career to another, each one gaining more responsibility and intensity, he’ll eventually burn himself out (no pun intended on his current job). By giving him a career path that begins with one of the most intense and high-responsibility jobs there is, he can move on to a job that doesn’t remove the thrill, but downgrades it to a stable level.


End file.
